Caught by the Viewfinder
by appleslovetea
Summary: Witty photographer Takaba Akihito is about to go on an undercover assignment that will end up changing his life… You can't always choose what gets caught by your Viewfinder…PART VI is up. Enjoy!
1. PART I

**Caught by the Viewfinder**

**PART I**

* * *

Akihito rolled to his side in bed, his eyes catching a glimpse of the alarm clock on top of the bedside table.

11:30 pm.

He unconsciously bit his lower lip, trying to shake off the uncomfortable feeling that had plagued him for days now.

Outside of his bedroom's closed door, he could hear the sound of Asami's footsteps moving around the apartment. So the older man hadn't retired to his room for the night yet...

Akihito glanced again at the alarm clock's display screen, focusing on the date displayed on its upper right corner.

November 5th, Tuesday.

November 5th...That would make it how long now? Three whole weeks since they'd last been together?

He turned on his back, fixing his eyes on the ceiling as he pondered on the subject.

It didn't seem that huge amount of time if one were to consider it properly, but it was definitely the longest they had been without touching each other since moving in together, and considering one of the parties involved was Asami Ryuuichi, who was known to have the sexual drive of a hare in perpetual mating season, Akihito couldn't help but feel that something was wrong.

He suddenly felt the urge to laugh at himself. He was behaving like a teenage girl. No, worse. Like a housewife who felt emotionally and physically neglected by her husband.

He was sure that if Kou or Takato could see him now, he'd be the laughing-stock of his group of friends. He could only imagine the jokes they would come up with just to tease him about the situation...

So what if Asami didn't look for him? He should be happy for the break he was getting. His body was in desperate need of a vacation from Asami's advances after all.

With that in mind, Akihito grabbed a couple of small pillows and held them tightly against his ears, hoping that they would help muffle down the sounds that were reaching him from outside the bedroom.

To hell with Asami anyway! Akihito needed to get some sleep. He was pulling an allnighter the next day with Mitarai on an undercover operation to gather material on a foreign politician's cheating wife, and the last thing he needed was to fall asleep on the job.

Their boss would throw a tantrum at them if they didn't manage to take good photos.

Akihito didn't really know much about the case, but it seemed to have all the ingredients of an international scandal, and the news' room at the office had been in an uproar all week because of it.

Someone had gotten a tip that the woman had set-up a meeting with her on-again off-again lover for the following day, who apparently was none other than a yakuza underground lord and was planning to pass on to him secret government information that could end up disrupting the relations between Japan and her husband's country.

Akihito couldn't care less about the whole soap opera drama, but for once he was glad to have an excuse to spend the night away from Asami's apartment.

He ended up tossing and turning in bed some more for the next 30 minutes until sleep finally claimed him, and he was able to fully relax for the first time that evening.

* * *

About 10 minutes later there came a shallow knock at his door.

The lack of response ensued another knock, and a few seconds later of nothing but silence, saw the door handle being turned and the door opening a few inches wide.

Asami's eyes took awhile to adjust themselves to the darkness around the room. He didn't call out to Akihito, assuming by the younger man's silence that he was already asleep.

Instead, he stayed where he was, casually leaning against the door frame as he glanced at the bed where Akihito was sprawled out nonchalantly among a mess of scattered pillows and crumpled sheets.

A cold draft must have made it past him somehow, because Akihito suddenly shivered in his sleep, rubbing his arms to warm himself up.

Careful not to make too much noise, Asami shortened the distance between them, picking up the duvet cover discarded on the floor and covering the younger man's body with it.

He figured that the proximity to Akihito was what ended up momentarily shaking his resolve not to touch him. Unable to stop himself, Asami bent down, lightly brushing his lips against Akihito's neck.

The movement unexpectedly caused the younger man to moan quietly though, which in turn caused Asami to freeze still, cursing against his own stupidity.

"A-Asami?..." Akihito mumbled sleepily, half-opening his eyelids.

The older man stayed perfectly silent, attentive to any new movement from the other, but he eventually relaxed as he felt Akihito's breathing rythm slowing down once again.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Asami straightened himself up, his eyes never leaving Akihito's sleeping form.

That had been a close one. He needed to get a grip on himself.

Asami had promised himself to keep his distance from the kid, at least until the current situation was sorted out, and he could understand how much of a threat it posed to Akihito, but he had to admit that living under the same roof was seriously putting his resolve to the test.

After three weeks he felt strained beyond belief and he was under no delusion that the witty photographer hadn't already picked up that something was off with him.

"One more day..." He thought tiredly, as he turned to leave the room. One more day and he could throw the whole story behind him for good this time...

**To be continued...**

* * *

**A/N: **Oh Asami, you cruel, cruel man. Neglecting poor Akihito... What are you scheming, huh? lol

Hope you enjoyed reading the first part of the new story ;)


	2. PART II

**Disclaimer:** Viewfinder and its characters are the property of the very talented Yamane-sensei, who should be worshipped as a goddess for giving the world Asami Ryuuichi and for bestowing on us, mere mortals, his many sexy shower scenes throughout the manga hahaha ;P The rest of the characters featured in this story are a product of my crazy imagination, which is probably fulled by the fact that I eat too much sugar. Any similarities to real people or situations are therefore a mere coincidence ;)

Happy readings everyone!

**Caught by the Viewfinder**

**PART II**

* * *

Akihito placed the camera on his lap while he rubbed his hands together, trying to generate some much-needed body heat.

It was a cold night, and according to the weather report he'd seen on TV before leaving Asami's apartment, it was only going to get colder.

It was definitely not the greatest night of his life so far, that was for sure.

Akihito's legs were starting to get numb from him having to sit on the floor hidden behind the bushes for so long, and although he was already on his fifth coffee cup, he didn't seem to be able to shake off the feeling of drowsiness that threatened to take over him.

To top it all off, he was finding it hard to share in on Mitarai's enthusiasm with the assignment, who camera in hand, didn't miss a single shot of any of the high-class VIPs entering the restricted club across the street from them.

Akihito eyed Club Dracaena's entrance doors with a bitter smile. He supposed he should have known better than to expect that the latest underworld news scandal wouldn't have some sort of connection to Asami, as mild as it might be.

He had already seen the man arrive in his limo a couple of hours ago, entering the club flanked on one side by his chief bodyguard and on the other by his inseparable assistant.

No doubt Asami was there to conduct his daily check-up on the club's activities, although for a second Akihito couldn't help but wonder if he knew anything at all about the _rendezvous_ that was about to take place at his club.

The young man chuckled bitterly at the thought. Leave it to Asami Ryuuichi to be surrounded by shady circumstances all the time.

And just when _he _was the last person that Akihito wanted to see that day.

The young man suddenly remembered the dream he'd had the previous night, in which Asami had finally visited him in his room. The dream had had all the ingredients of an enjoyable one, were it not for the fact that it had ended so quickly.

The initial part had been so vivid though that Akihito could have sworn that he had felt Asami's touch against his skin for real, but that had been about it.

He recalled that the moment the older man's name had escaped his lips the spell he'd been under had been broken somehow. A few seconds later he was diving head on into a dreamless slumber.

Great! He was now so unbelievably sex deprived that his mind was playing tricks on him. He felt pathetic...

Sighing tiredly, Akihito reached a hand inside his backpack trying to dig out one of the chocolate bars he'd bought at the 7/11 on his way to meet Mitarai, when the man in question suddenly called out to him, unable to hide his excitement.

"Akihito! Quick, get your camera ready. That limo coming down the street. It's her!" He said, quickly preparing his own camera.

The younger man barely had a moment to lose. By the time he was able to focus his Nikon D600 properly, the limo had already stopped in front of the club and one of its doormen, had purposely come round to open the limo's side door.

Akihito heard Mitarai's camera click at a thousand miles per hour beside him, even though no one had exited the ride just yet and it was far too dark inside the limo to get a proper glimpse of its occupant.

That was not Akihito's style of photography though. For him, the virtue of a good photograph was in waiting for the exact right moment to take it.

So ignoring the festival of clicks and flashes at his side, he slowly zoomed in on the scene with his camera's powerful lens, until he got a clear view of the limo's opened side door.

For about 30 nerve-racking seconds nothing happened, until suddenly, yet gracefully, the limo's occupant stepped out into the sidewalk.

As soon as the woman became visible through his viewfinder, Akihito's jaw dropped to the floor. He had to actually blink twice to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

A scarce 200 meters in front of him stood one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. Scratch that, she had to be _the_ most beautiful he'd ever laid eyes on in his entire life... Ever!

Tall, slender, with long flowing blonde hair that cascaded down her back and a gown that hugged her body in all the right places, she looked as if she could have stepped straight out of a high-end fashion magazine.

Her movements were graceful, as if she was gliding across the pavement, rather than walking. There was an air of sophistication and class about her that seemed to separate her from her fellow mortals.

Akihito noticed her delicately designed lips parting as she addressed the doorman for a brief moment. They were too far away for the young man to actually hear what they were saying, but it didn't stop him from wondering what her voice sounded like. He found himself betting that it was as lovely as the rest of her.

He was in fact so entranced by the vision in front of him that he nearly forgot to take any pictures. It was only when the woman was about to walk through the club's entrance doors that he snapped out of his reverie and went back to photographer mode.

Mitarai must had noticed his awe, because as soon as she disappeared from the range of their lenses, he turned to Akihito with an amused grin on his lips.

"Forget it, kid. That one is not for the likes of you...or me, for that matter. She preys on bigger fish."

Akihito couldn't take his eyes off from the club's doors, where he'd seen her last.

"W-Who is she?" He asked, still trying to figure out whether she had been a dream.

His question caused Mitarai to arch an eyebrow at him. "Boy, you really didn't do your homework this time, did you?"

Akihito grimaced, realizing he'd just been busted. He didn't have the guts to deny the accusation though. After all, with all the uncertainties surrounding him and Asami over the past few weeks he had to confess that he'd slacked on his work a bit.

Instead, he smiled apologetically at Mitarai, who just shook his head in disapproval. "Just make sure the boss doesn't find out". The older man said, cleaning the lens of his camera with his sleeve. "...Irina Drugov... That's her name. She's Russian... And 35 years old." He glanced at Akihito's incredulous expression, as if he had anticipated it. "Yeah, I know. She looks a lot younger... But don't let her innocent looks fool you. That woman is ruthless... And filthy rich too. She could probably buy and sell you in a heartbeat."

Akihito's questioning look, urged Mitarai further on. "She's 'old school money' as they say. Her family has been in the petrol business for decades. Privileged background, high-end social circles, that sort of thing. She's rumoured to have married her husband solely for political reasons, most likely to aid her family's business expansion outside of Russia. He's a high ranked politician for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after all..."

Akihito pondered on the information for a while in silence. Damn, he should have really done his homework this time. The case was a lot more interesting than he had originally given it credit.

"So is her lover Japanese?" He asked Mitarai, who shrugged in reply.

"No one really knows who he is, actually." He added. "The only thing that is known about him is that he conducts business within the Japanese underworld black market. Illegal gun trafficking, most likely. The cops have tried to track down his identity and that of his group for years now..."

A chill suddenly went down Akihito's spine. Illegal gun trafficking? That was one of Asami's many black market related activities...

Oh man, Akihito really hoped Asami didn't have any business connections with the guy.

"Hello there... And _who_ might you be?" Mitarai suddenly asked out loud to no one in particular, picking up his camera again and quickly pointing it at something or someone in front of them.

Snapped out of his gloomy musings, Akihito turned to where the camera's lens was pointing and for the second time that night had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Exiting a dark Bentley that had just stopped in front of the club, and promptly being flanked on all sides by more security guards than many heads of state would normally use, was none other than Liu Feilong, head of one of Hong Kong's most notorious mafia groups, and Akihito's old 'acquaintance'.

The young man's reasoning blocked for a few seconds from the sudden surprise of seeing _him_ of all people. And about to enter Asami's club, of all places...

Something was definitely going on, and Akihito was starting to get a very bad feeling about the whole situation.

Was there an underworld lords' convention in town that he didn't know about? Had they all decided to meet up at Club Dracaena to share stories on their illegal deeds? !

With Asami and Feilong under the same roof, Akihito half expected to hear guns being fired inside the club, followed by people's' hysterical screams and a general disorderly stampede out through the clubs' front doors, but nothing of the sort ended up happening.

One hour went by, two, then three, and the only sounds reaching him and Mitarai were those of the jazz band playing non-stop inside the club. People went in, people came out, but nothing remotely interesting had happened yet. For all they knew though, the secret _rendezvous _between the Russian woman and her lover was probably already taking place inside.

Around the time Akihito's sports' watch beeped signalling 3 a.m., Mitarai yawned soundly stretching his arms high above his head. "I have to go take a leak." He said nonchalantly, pointing at a set of trees a couple of meters behind them.

He got up from his seat on the floor besides Akihito, but not before shooting him a menacing look. "Now look here, Takaba. You keep those eyes on alert mode. I'll only be gone a few minutes. Don't you dare miss out on anything. I'll have your head on a stick if you do."

Akihito rolled his eyes at him, munching on the last piece of his chocolate bar. "Yeah, yeah. Just go already."

He watched Mitarai's retreating form, grumbling improprieties against him under his breath. No matter how much hard work Akihito would put into his job, how many scoops he'd gain for their company, Mitarai would always treat him like an irresponsible child, who knew nothing but get himself in trouble.

Akihito huffed undignified. He'd show Mitarai someday! He'd get his hands on a scoop so big that his name would be featured on all major newspapers. He'd still be a famous photographer... one day...eventually...he hoped...

The only thing he was missing was a lucky break...

The gods must had been listening at that time, because out of the blue, one of the limo's Akihito had seen earlier on in the evening screeched to a halt on the road right beside the club, and a few seconds later none other than Irina Drugov came running out the club's front doors, rushing towards the ride.

It all happened so quickly that Akihito nearly choked on his chocolate. He fumbled around for his camera and picked it up just in time to see the woman stopping short of the limo's side door.

She placed a hand on the ride for support, while the other went up to cover her mouth.

Through his viewfinder, Akihito noticed it was shaking, _she_ was shaking. As a matter of fact, she was crying. Bawling her eyes out, more precisely.

Seeing her then, looking so fragile, it was hard to believe she was the ruthless power and money digger that Mitarai had painted her out to be.

Akihito had to kick his senses back on. Now was not the time to act like a gentleman.

She was a deceitful woman, cheating on her husband with an underworld criminal, and most likely had already given her lover secret government information that could jeopardize his country.

He was a news' photographer, damn it! She was the news' scoop of the decade, and only over his dead body would Akihito let this opportunity pass by.

Nothing could have prepared him for what was to follow though...

He'd been clicking his camera constantly for the past two minutes, catching her expressions on film through every available angle to him, when he suddenly heard someone shout her name.

What made Akihito freeze still wasn't the act itself, but the voice calling out to the woman.

A voice he knew all too well...

With a heavy heart and a strange feeling at the pit of his stomach, Akihito moved his camera's focus to where the sound had come from, only to witness Asami quickly rushing down the club's front steps towards the limo... and towards Irina.

As soon as the woman heard her name, she tried to get inside the limo, but Asami was quicker, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her with him back to the sidewalk.

Irina tried to fight against his hold, but it only lasted a few seconds. Clearly powerless against him, she stood there quietly, unable to utter a word, until she leaned her face against his shoulder, soaking Asami's dark Armani jacket with the rest of her tears.

And the surprising thing of it all was that Asami didn't pull her away from him. He too just stood there, patiently, letting her eyes run dry as her hands came up to grab the back of his shoulders, almost as if she wanted to embrace him.

Akihito witnessed the whole scene, trying to calm his heart down, which somehow had started to race uncontrollably in the meantime. He could already feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, as his mind was being flooded by dozens of thoughts per second.

"Cool it, Aki." He repeated to himself over and over like a mantra. "The last time you saw someone cling to him like that, it was Sudou and it was all a big misunderstanding. There was nothing between them. So cool it."

The following 10 seconds ended up crushing Akihito's hopes though...

The woman, who had remained still for a while, slowly pulled her face away from Asami's shoulder and without so much as a word, suddenly lifted herself up on her tiptoes, closing her teary eyes, as her lips connected with his in a soulful kiss.

Akihito felt his camera slide down from his hands, landing on the floor with a crash. On the back of his mind, and alarm went off, screaming at him to pick it up and check if it was ok.

Why should he care about his stupid camera though...when his entire world had just been turned upside down...

To be continued...

* * *

**A/N: **Poor Akihito, that must have been tough to watch...lol Many thanks to all who read and reviewed the last chapter :) Glad you found it interesting.

In relation to this chapter, worry not. Asami is not actually the woman's famed lover (yes, I do realise they just kissed lol but that's just because Asami is a very cunning man haha). I wonder if you can already guess who the real lover is though... ;) Until the next chapter.


	3. PART III

**A/N: **Many thanks for your reviews, favs and for your interest in the story :) Hope you enjoy this new installment.

**Caught by the Viewfinder**

**PART III**

* * *

Kou stared at the food tray he'd previously placed beside his spare futon with a frown.

The chicken sandwich he had prepared remained untouched, as did the package of chocolate chip cookies he had purposely gone out to buy earlier on, in an attempt to cheer up his friend.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about Akihito. You knew something very serious had to be up with him, if it reached the point where he was even rejecting chocolate.

Thinking back though, Kou supposed he should had realized something was off the minute Akihito showed up on his doorstep the previous morning, sporting the biggest hangover he'd ever seen on him.

Not that Akihito was exactly naïve when it came to alcohol; he'd definitely had his share of hangovers in recent years (…they all had, frankly!) but he'd really looked like he was about to collapse at any moment.

It looked almost as if Akihito had hit the really powerful stuff and had drunk as much of it as he could handle in just a couple of hours... As if he was trying to make himself purposely numb...really fast.

At first Kou thought that it might have had something to do with Akihito's job. Maybe his friend had massively screwed up a news scoop, and this was his way of calming his bruised ego, but when Kou had gone out shopping for groceries later that morning he ended up buying one of the morning newspapers and finding out that Akihito himself had helped to uncover an international scandal just hours before.

His name was showing up in all major newspapers in association with the photographs illustrating the case (...in _very_ fine print as was the norm with photography credits, but still, it was really good exposure for him and his work).

Akihito should be celebrating his ass off, not looking as if he was down in the dumps.

Careful not to disturb his friend too much, Kou hunched down next to the futon, placing a hand on Akihito's shoulder.

"Hey Akihito, come on... You have to eat something. I'm no cook as you know, but I promise my chicken sandwiches are pretty good." He said encouragingly, as he watched the other man rol on to his back, fixing his eyes on the ceiling with a blank stare.

"Sorry... I'm not hungry..." Akihito said apologetically.

"Bullshit! You must be…You barely had anything to eat since yesterday."

Akihito didn't answer him though, opting instead to continue staring at the ceiling. Truth be told, he was starving, but he just couldn't bring himself to eat anything at the moment…

He really just wanted to be left alone so that he could continue to commiserate himself in peace, while at the same time coming up with ingenious new ways of torturing that cheating bastard Asami Ryuuichi… at least in the privacy of his own mind.

Kou eyed his friend with a heavy heart. There were noticeable bags under Akihito's eyes, courtesy of having little sleep over the past two days, and overall he looked kind of sickly, though Kou had already taken his temperature and confirmed that it was perfectly normal.

There didn't seem to be anything physically wrong with him, which sort of ended up giving Kou a clue of what might be actually going on.

Sighing tiredly, he sat down on the floor next to Akihito, choosing his next words carefully.

"Did you really like _her_ that much?" He tentatively asked, studying his friend's reaction to the question.

The confused look that came over Akihito, urged Kou further on.

"It's because of a girl, isn't it?" He ventured, sporting a half-smile. "Look, I know that Takato and I never talked to you about this, but the two of us had suspected for a while now that you had a new girlfriend…" He added, noticing his best friend's eyes widen in surprise.

"Huh, we weren't sure why you never introduced her to us though… We just assumed that things were complicated between the two of you. But you looked pretty happy, so we just left things as they were and waited for you to come to us to talk about it instead."

Akihito listened to his friend, stunned by his words. Oh man, Kou and Takato knew all along?... _Well_, they'd gotten Asami's gender wrong, but they had definitely hit a home-run on the 'complicated' part of the situation.

For a second, Akihito felt bad about himself. He shouldn't have been so secretive with his friends, but on second thought, what was he supposed to have told them?

"_Hey guys, do you know that scary looking guy I live with? Asami Ryuuichi? Yeah? Well, actually we've been sleeping together for a couple of years now… Oh no, no, we're not really lovers or anything. Well,… I suppose I like him…a lot, but he just uses me for the sex… Oh, and by the way, Asami is a black market leader who makes millions selling illegal weapons and who knows what else…" _

Oh yeah, that conversation would go down really well with Kou and Takato!…

"So have you guys broken up, is that it?" Kou's question brought Akihito back to the present.

The photographer felt a sudden urge to laugh. "Well, we were never officially a couple to begin with, so there's nothing to break up, I guess." He said, smiling bitterly.

"So... what happened?"

"…It turned out I was just a toy to him…I mean, _her_." Akihito quickly amended. "…It was not like I didn't know though. I only have myself to blame really." He added after a few moments of silence; that familiar uncomfortable feeling he'd grown accustomed to recently creeping over him again.

"Dude, that sucks… Women these days..." Kou said, shaking his head. "But don't despair, my good man. The world is filled with nice girls that will no doubt know how to appreciate you properly. We'll get you back on the dating scene in no time, you'll see." He added with a grin, trying to lift up Akihito's gloomy mood. "In the meantime, you can stay here for as long as you like. I'll let you rest now…but try and eat something soon ok?" He finished, pointing to the food tray while getting back up on his feet.

Akihito waited until he heard his friend's footsteps echo through the hallway outside the bedroom and slowly forced himself to sit upright in the futon.

The second he managed to do so, he felt the whole room start to spin around him.

Cursing out loud against his own stupidity, he swore inwardly never to go near absinth again. If his most recent hangover had thought him anything, it was that absinth was some serious powerful stuff.

Akihito found himself snickering. Well, at least the alcohol had served its purpose. Thanks to it, for many hours after the "incident" (which was how his brain now liked to refer itself to the events that had taken place two nights ago), Akihito had been able to successfully forget all about Asami Ryuuichi and his perfect looking lover Irina Drugov.

He took a hand to the side of his head as a searing pain shot through it suddenly, making his eyes lose their focus for a few seconds.

Pity absinth had so many side effects…otherwise Akihito had a feeling that he wouldn't mind being continuously drunk on the stuff for the next few months. At least until his mind could erase for good the memory of that good for nothing cheating bastard.

Grumbling fresh curses against Asami, Akihito scrambled to his feet, clumsily making his way towards the bathroom until he inadvertently stepped on the morning newspaper that Kou had left behind for him to take a look at.

And there it was... Right in the newspaper's front cover… The very last photograph that Akihito had taken of the "incident", before dropping his Nikon D600 on the floor and breaking in two the expensive camera lens he'd saved up for over 6 months to be able to buy.

There it was in all its glory… Irina Drugov in the arms of a mysterious man no one had yet been able to identify… no one but Akihito, that is…

The young man let out a tired sigh looking at his own name written in small print in one of the corners of the photo. He supposed he should get used to seeing it. He was going to see a whole lot more of that photo in the coming weeks, that was for sure.

Kou had already told him that the photograph had opened the previous night's news report on the NHK channel and that his freelance news company's name had even been mentioned a couple of times by the anchor as being responsible for unveiling the scandal.

Akihito bet that that had made his boss' day…although the same could probably not be said of Mitarai.

Thinking of the older man made Akihito grimace. Mitarai had been so furious with him when he'd finally rejoined him at their hideout and realized that Akihito had irresponsibly damaged his camera.

At the time, Asami and Irina were already being driven away inside the limo that had stopped in front of the club and Mitarai wasn't able to take any further pics of the duo.

He had yelled at the top of his lungs at Akihito, until he'd finally noticed the younger man's somewhat catatonic state.

It didn't matter any way. It turned out that the photos that Akihito had already taken, and which were safely stored in the memory card that Mitarai whisked rapidly away to the office, had been more than enough to fuel the speculation of every news' room in the country, even though the angle from which Akihito had taken the pictures, made is impossible to positively identify Asami to anyone who was unfamiliar with him.

Irina was already being portrayed by the press as a cheating woman and her husband was being pestered to provide a statement in relation to her obvious infidelity, though so far no one had been able to get through to him.

Akihito figured he was probably too busy doing damage control at the Russian Foreign Affairs' Ministry. If one were to believe everything that was being printed and said about the case, then Irina had caused a major breach in the foreign relations of her husband's country with Japan on account of her romantic indiscretion.

Some news' agencies were reporting that she had given to her lover a list of names of Russian spies operating in the Japanese territory, which he would use to manipulate the Japanese government into providing him _carte blanche_ for his shady deals.

Deep down Akihito thought the whole story was baloney. Asami could be a crook sometimes, but he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his country. Although, Akihito noticed with a slight ache in his heart, until two days ago he'd also thought that Asami wasn't enough of a jerk to have two lovers at the same time… if indeed the older man ever thought of Akihito as more than a casual fuck, that is. Akihito didn't know what to believe anymore.

Over the past 48 hours the young man had experienced every feeling that could ever be associated with a breakup. Sadness, anger, denial, anxiety, more anger, more sadness, and finally numbness and resignation.

Well... that was that.

There was no way that he'd be going back to Asami after what he'd witnessed. No excuse that the other man could come up with, would make Akihito return back to his house. Not that Akihito seriously thought that Asami would bother coming up with one in the first place...

The only thing left for the young man to do now, was to get his stuff out of the other man's apartment as soon as possible, get on with his life and forget that their paths ever crossed.

He stopped for a second, thinking of the implications, as his eyes fell on the partly concealed profile of Asami shown by the newspaper's photograph.

Never again would Akihito feel his touch against his skin, smell the alluring scent he gave off of expensive cologne mixed with Dunhill cigarette smoke.

Never again would Akihito hear Asami laugh because of his stupid jokes in that deep voice of his, see him arch an eyebrow in silence every time he would tell him another one of his crazy ideas to get himself a new news' scoop.

Never again would he taste Asami's lips or wake up feeling the other man's arm loosely wrapped around him…

"Stupid Asami…" He mumbled quietly, biting his lower lip.

The man was a selfish, deceiving scoundrel, who didn't care who he had to crush as long as he got his way in the end.

Deep down Akihito knew that he was doing the right thing by walking away and cutting all ties with him.

Yet, if such was so,... why did his heart have to ache so much?

* * *

Liu Feilong scanned his eyes over the cover of the day's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, sporting an amused grin on his lips.

"Isn't it endearing how the press _always_ manages to get everything wrong?" He asked the man standing by the window; his voice revealing a hint of sarcasm. "Reading these headlines one would assume that Japan was about to declare war on Russia. 'Major International Crisis'..._Honestly_..." He joked, eyeing the bold header that occupied half of the newspaper's front page.

His comments received no reply though, which caused Feilong to lower the newspaper on to the desk he was sitting behind, casting an inquisitive look at the only other occupant in the room.

"You're awfully quiet for someone who just caused a _major international crisis_..."

From his spot surveying the city through the large windows of his office room, Asami shot the other man a silent yet menacing look which seemed to show that he was in no mood for jokes.

Feilong shrugged, picking up the newspaper again. "You have to admit though, the photos turned out quite nice. Why, if I had known that Akihito was such a good photographer, I would have commissioned him a photo-shoot or two while he was staying with me in Hong Kong."

"Feilong..." Came Asami's stern warning not to touch the subject.

The other man ignored the threat though. "Oh, well... It's a shame your plan backfired in the end. And all because of a few photographs..." He said, studying Asami's reactions to his words from the corner of his eyes.

"It was quite an ingenious plan on you part, I must admit... Cunningly seducing Mikhail Arbatov's former lover while she is still nursing a broken heart and tricking her into giving _you_ the details of the gun shipment deal she meant to give to him... That was truly a feat. I don't know Irina personally, but I heard she is known for being quite the deceiving snake..."

The observation made Asami snicker under his breath. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear..." He said; his voice, however, neutral.

"I suppose you'll have to lay low for a while now. Arbatov will no doubt be getting his hands on one of these." The other man pointed out, waiving the newspaper in the air. "Imagine his shock when he sees Irina in the arms of his major business enemy in Japan. Well, the picture isn't completely clear, but he is bound to recognize you. You should be on guard."

Asami narrowed his eyes at Feilong, as he slowly lit a new Dunhill from his pack. "You can drop the concerned act, Feilong. I know very well you're amused by all this."

His trademark bluntness made the other man smile in amusement. "Perhaps... Truth be told, when I stopped by your club to discuss the deed for the new hotel, I wasn't expecting the additional dose of entertainment, but it is quite welcomed..." He confessed. "...So have you decided what to do yet? It's been two days already..."

A moment of silence ensued, in which Asami turned his focus back to the window, looking beyond the metropolis below towards the horizon, as if contemplating what was ahead.

"...I'm shutting down operations in Japan for a while and moving them to South America... It's already being taken care of."

Feilong pondered on the information for a few seconds, finally nodding in agreement. "I suppose it is the wisest thing to do for now. Arbatov will no doubt come marching towards Tokyo demanding explanations soon. That gun deal was worth a substantial amount of money. It's best if you're not in the country..." He frowned as a thought crossed his mind. "What about your legal businesses? The clubs, hotels and such?"

Asami pulled on the cigarette, letting his lungs get accustomed to the smoke. "I'll leave everything to my associates." He stated calmly. The subject had obviously already been thought through. "They can manage a few months on their own without me."

A wicked gleam suddenly appeared on Feilong's eyes, as he again eyed the photographs in the newspaper. "What about the boy? What are your plans for him?" He asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

"...What about him?" Asami asked back; his voice sounding unexpectedly detached.

Feilong tilted his head slightly at him, surprised by his seemingly lack of interest in the subject.

"Are you saying you have no punishment in line for Akihito?" He asked in disbelief. "His photos cost you millions of yen..."

It took a while for Asami to answer, as if he was debating with himself which words to use. "He was just doing his job. I was the one who was careless. I shouldn't have followed Irina outside the club." He finally said.

If Liu Feilong had been a man known to show his emotions plainly on his face, then he was sure that at that moment he would be gaping in amazement. Instead, he found himself wondering whether he'd taken too much opium that afternoon and was in fact hearing things.

Did proud, inflexible, egocentric black market leader Asami Ryuuichi, who was fiercely known for being ruthless to anyone who came between him and his goals, just excused another human being's actions while admitting his own guilt on the subject?

Feilong couldn't help letting out a laugh. "So what? Are you just going to leave him be?"

Asami chose to let his silence answer for him this time, which only managed to further intrigue the other man. "Are you seriously letting your pet boy go?... Well, considering the circumstances I doubt that Akihito would want to come back to you out of his own desire this time. Seeing you with Irina must have been tough on him. I go so far as to assume you're the last person he'd want to see at the moment, but still... I find your willingness to cut ties with him very out of character. Have you grown tired of Akihito?"

"…It would be too cumbersome to take him with me to South America, that's all."

Again, Asami's emotionless tone made Feilong arch an eyebrow at him. Something was not adding up in this story. "True." He agreed, nevertheless. "And by taking Akihito with you, you would be turning him into an additional target for Arbatov to take down. Instead, if you cut all ties with the kid and he remains here, then Arbatov will just assume you discarded him and that there is no point in going after hi-..." He stopped short of his reasoning, as it all suddenly became clear to him. "...You're protecting Akihito." He said, his eyes opening wide in surprise.

Asami looked back at him, noticing the hint of surprise also in his voice, but in no moment did he deny the comment. Instead, he silently moved towards his desk where he picked up is suit jacket, putting it on under Feilong's curious gaze.

"_Well, well_, isn't the world just full of surprises lately. The great Asami Ryuuichi showing genuine care for a fellow human being. I never thought I would live to see the day..."

Asami chose to ignore his irony. "I need a favor from you." He said, though his tone made it sound more like a demand than anything. It was clear that Asami was not used to asking for favors.

"Shoot." Feilong said with a smirk. "I am intrigued."

"Akihito... He has a tendency to get himself involved in complicated situations. I can't leave one of my bodyguards behind to keep him out of trouble or Mikhail might track him down back to me..." Asami said, picking up his briefcase.

Feilong nodded in agreement. "Fine, consider it done. I'll dispatch one of my men to keep an eye on him. I was already planning on to anyway."

The stern look Asami suddenly shot him made him shrug unconcerned.

"What? I happen to like the kid. He has spunk. I wouldn't want anything bad happening to him."

He watched as Asami moved towards the exit door without another word and suddenly couldn't hold his curiosity any longer.

"Are you in love with Akihito, Asami? Is that why you're willing to let him go?" He asked just as the other man was placing his hand on the doorknob.

The question seemed to paralyze Asami for a couple of seconds.

"...Just make sure that you keep him out of harm's way." The older man shot back over his shoulder just before closing the door behind him; failing to see the amused grin that appeared on Feilong's lips.

* * *

Akihito leaned his back against the elevator's cabinet wall, watching the floor numbers rise up in the display screen placed in front of him.

He eyed his watch again as if to make sure that time wasn't moving far too quickly.

He knew he was taking a gamble returning so soon to Asami's apartment to pick up his stuff, but he figured that being the middle of the afternoon he would have the least chances of bumping into the older man, ... though in truth Akihito suspected that by then, Asami was probably hiding in some fancy undisclosed location waiting for the scandal surrounding him to die down...most likely in Irina's company.

The young man shook his head, trying to push back the thought. Who Asami chose to be with didn't concern him anymore (if indeed it ever did). He just wanted to get as much of his belongings as he could out of the apartment now, so that he could move back into his flat. He'd worry about the rest later.

When the elevator reached the top floor with a melodious ring, Akihito took a deep breath and carefully stepped out into the deserted hallway.

He stood still for a few seconds outside the heavy door to Asami's apartment, trying to pick up any sounds from within, yet deep down knowing that the action was useless given that the door was sound proof.

Surprised to find his hands shaking, he nonetheless placed the key on the keyhole, turning it while listening to the sound of the powerful door locks give in to it.

The front hall just inside the apartment was consumed in darkness, but Akihito could see further ahead the afternoon sunlight streaming through the balcony windows outside the living room.

Apart from that, no other light was illuminating the apartment and as Akihito shut the door softly behind him, he noticed the dead silence of the place all around him.

Sighing in relief, he moved more freely and confidently about the space, stopping next to the living room's dining table where he put down the duffel bag Kou had lent him so that he could transport a few of his belongings in.

The dishware he'd set down two days before for dinner still hadn't been moved from the table, which made him suspect that the meal he'd left behind for Asami before leaving the house to meet up with Mitarai, was still in the fridge.

Akihito smiled bitterly at the thought. He'd cooked a huge bowl of yakisoba for Asami, knowing it was his favorite dish. Even though they'd barely seen each other over the past few weeks and despite the older man's aloof attitude towards him, Akihito still made it his mission to make sure that Asami would always have a nice meal to come home to every night. And for what? He now wondered...

"Stupid jerk..." Akihito muttered under his breath.

For a second he felt an urge to break the plate and wine glass against the walls, use the knife to cut thru the leather of the living room's expensive sofas, poke holes on the paintings decorating the walls with the fork.

He wanted to make Asami pay in some way for having made him fall in love with him, even though deep down Akihito knew that the older man had never asked for it. Akihito had fallen in love with him all on his own.

His eyes were starting to sting from realizing how naïve he had been about the whole situation, but he refused to cry. The man wasn't worth his tears.

He was about to pick up the duffel bag again when he felt, more than heard, the presence behind him.

Akihito turned around, his heart beating wildly against his ribcage, just as a man came into the living room coming from the balcony, a nearly burned down Dunhill cigarette casually dangling from the side of his lips.

As their eyes met, the younger man couldn't tell who was more shocked to see who. Only that Asami oddly appeared to be as tired and drained as he himself was.

"Akihito?..." He heard the older man ask surprised, as if he was suddenly seeing a ghost and not the real him.

To be continued...

* * *

**A/N:** Damn cliffhangers lol Until next time :)


	4. PART IV

**A/N:** Thanks again for your reviews, favs and alerts :) Glad you're enjoying the angst-y tone of the story he he A little warning: This chapter has a smut scene in it, so if you don't enjoy reading the stuff just skip that part ;)

Happy readings! :)

**Caught by the Viewfinder**

**PART IV**

* * *

Akihito blurted out the words before he could stop himself. "I'm here to pick up my stuff. I'm moving out." He heard himself say, with a lot more conviction than he actually felt.

Whether or not Asami was surprised by his comment, was something he couldn't tell. The older man's expression suddenly became unreadable, as he seemed to surpass the initial surprise of seeing Akihito in the apartment, although for a fraction of a second, the younger man could have sworn he saw Asami's eyes widen in surprise at his words.

But as quickly as the expression came on, it also disappeared, and soon enough Asami was nodding quietly at him, while putting out the rest of his cigarette on a nearby ashtray. "Do you have a place to stay already?" He asked after a few moments of silence; his voice seemingly deprived of any emotion.

Akihito felt the muscles around his heart squeeze painfully, but he didn't let it show through his demeanor. He would be damned if he'd show any signs of weakness in front of Asami!

"I'm only asking because I spoke to your previous landlord yesterday. Your old apartment is still vacant. You can move back in whenever you like."

Now it was Akihito's turn to look surprised. Asami had spoken with his landlord? Though he tried to refrain from showing it, he was sure Asami picked up on a visible change in his expression because he quickly elaborated on the matter.

"I arranged for a new contract for you with the landlord and I've covered your rent expenses for the next year. You can move back in as soon as you want."

"_What_?" Akihito asked incredulously. He found the situation so ridiculous all of a sudden, he didn't know whether to laugh or be angry about it.

Asami picked up on that too, and for the first time it seemed that his poker face was about to crack. He even averted his eyes from the younger man for a few seconds as if fearing he wouldn't be able to hold up his guard.

"I'm moving out for a while due to some... unexpected circumstances and shutting up the condo, otherwise I'd let you stay here."

Akihito let out a laugh despite himself. "...'unexpected circumstances'?" He repeated; an obvious hint of irony in his voice.

He felt a new wave of anger surge within him. Was Asami not even going to own up to the fact that he was Irina's lover? Was he planning to continue to make a fool out of him?

Akihito figured Asami was able to read his thoughts through his eyes yet again, because the older man suddenly narrowed his own eyes at him, in what seemed like a defiant stance.

Before neither of them could say anything though, Asami's trusty secretary Kirishima suddenly showed up at the balcony's entrance; his faithful Blackberry secured in his hand.

The second Kirishima noticed the presence of the two men in the living room, he froze. His surprised eyes went from Akihito, to Asami, back to Akihito again. It seemed he was at a loss for words.

Clearly, no one had anticipated Akihito's presence in the apartment that afternoon.

"Huh... Asami-sama..." He started saying quietly, as if fearing he had just interrupted something he shouldn't have. "I just got a call from the airport. They've got your luggage already and the jet plane is ready. Everything is set for take-off." He chanced another uneasy look at Akihito at this point. "We... should be leaving now, if we want to keep to the flight's schedule..."

Asami nodded quietly at his words, never averting his eyes from Akihito in front of him. "Wait for me downstairs. I'll be with you in a few minutes."

Kirishima took to the order swiftly, leaving them alone again, but not before bidding farewell to the young man, who baffled by the sudden piece of information, mumbled something along the lines of a farewell to him as well in return.

It wasn't until Akihito heard the front door opening and closing that he felt his ability to speak properly returning back to him.

"A-Are you leaving on a business trip?" He asked Asami, trying to sound casual.

"Not really."

"W-Where are you going to then?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not? How long will you be gone?"

"Awhile... I'm not sure myself how long."

Asami's elusive replies only managed to increase Akihito's frustration. "Are you going with_ her_?" He asked straight out before his brain even had a chance to process the question.

This time he clearly saw the older man's eyes widen in surprise, though Asami was quick to compose himself. "Would my answer to that make any difference to you at this point?" He asked, the hint of a smile playing in his lips. "You seem pretty intent on walking away from me as it is."

Akihito felt his hands slowly curl into fists. He really hated Asami's smugness sometimes. "Yeah, you can bet I am." He said daringly, knowing very well it was a blatant lie. "And don't think for a second that I'll be waiting for you. I'm done with this. So don't even bother looking for me when you get bac-"

"…I won't."

The certainty in Asami's voice, felt like a heavy punch in Akihito's stomach. "What?" He asked; his voice suddenly deprived of its challenging tone.

"I… won't be looking for you again, so you don't have to worry about it." Asami explained. "As for your stuff, I'll ask Kirishima to arrange for it to be packed and delivered to your apartment, so you don't have to worry about that either." He added, causally lighting up a new cigarette from his Dunhill pack.

It was as if someone had pulled the rug from under Akihito's feet. He suddenly felt the strength in his legs vanishing, and a queasy filling started to form at the pit of his stomach.

He watched Asami slowly exhale a cloud of smoke; his heart feeling as heavy as the silence that had fallen over the room. "Is this it then?" He asked, hoping his voice wouldn't falter.

The other man let the silence answer for him.

"Do you have _nothing_ to say at all?"

A flicker of something flashed in front of Asami's eyes, but he remained as cool and composed as he looked.

"I think it's for the best if we part ways here."

He'd half- expected Akihito to throw a tantrum at his words, or at least yell at him or even cry, but nothing of the sort happened.

Instead, the only thing that registered with him was the hurt and disappointment evident in the younger man's voice when he spoke to him again.

"You're a real jerk Asami, and being that way is only going to get you to die alone."

No further words were exchanged between the two of them. Akihito left him alone in the room without so much as a goodbye, apart from the sound of his footsteps echoing away in the hallway.

When Asami heard the apartment's front door closing shut, he leaned against the living room's table for support.

"Fuck." He cursed out loud, bending down to take a deep breath.

He felt like he had just been shot through the heart.

* * *

_(6 months later)_

Akihito couldn't take it anymore. It was too much for him.

He felt so hot that he was sure he was going to pass out if he didn't do anything soon.

He had to find a way to make _him_ stop...

Gathering up the little strength he had left, Akihito made a move to crawl out from under the other man, but as soon as Asami felt him inch away, he grabbed him by the waist with both hands and slammed him back against his thighs.

A wave of the purest pleasure shot through Akihito's body as he felt Asami's thick manhood stretching his insides again.

That was the weird thing about having sex with Asami. Akihito always felt as if he was on the greatest acid trip of his life. Not that he actually took the stuff.

His eyesight became blurry, he couldn't think straight and his limbs would refuse to obey his commands. It was like every fiber of his being suddenly became high on the feeling radiating from the place where their bodies met.

Powerless against the other man, Akihito turned his head on the pillow it had been resting on, catching a glimpse of Asami hovering over his back.

"A-Asami..." His voice dragged on. He felt as if he was gasping for air. "P-Please stop. Enough already."

He noticed the small trickles of sweat running down the other man's naked torso and arms, but he didn't look like he was the least bit tired yet.

And as if proving the point, Asami lowered his torso against Akihito's back, licking a particular sensitive spot on the back of the younger man's neck. "Why do you want me to stop?" The older man asked; his voice low and irresistibly seductive. "You're enjoying it, aren't you?" He added, gently squeezing Akihito's firm member in his hand.

Akihito had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from moaning from pleasure. "Asami, you bastard…You're gonna break me in two." He quivered, as he felt the rhythm of the other man's thrusts against him increasing.

"Then loosen up. Don't fight it."

"Will you just shut up and cum already? !" Akihito groaned, causing Asami to laugh out loud.

"You're really something, you know that Akihito." The older man whispered against his ear. "But ok, I'll grant you your wish…" He said mischievously, just before he rolled them both in bed so that the younger man ended up on top of him, straddling his hips.

"What the …?" Akihito asked, confused by the sudden change of positions.

Asami grinned, noticing the sudden blush tinting the younger man's cheeks. "You want me to cum right?... _Make me_ cum then." He said, positioning Akihito's waist just above his crotch area.

When the implications of his words finally dawned on Akihito, the younger man turned about twenty different shades of red in the course of just a few seconds. "I-I refuse." He quickly said, trying to get off of Asami as quickly as possible.

The older man effortlessly held him in place by the waist though, and further decided to tease him by slowly grinding his crotch against his thighs.

Akihito only realized he'd let out a moan in response when he heard it with his own ears. When he turned his face to look back at Asami he could already see the victory smug plastered on the older man's face.

"I suppose that means you've reconsidered." Asami grinned.

Sighing in defeat, Akihito settled himself back into position, straddling Asami's hips tighter. "You're freaking annoying sometimes." He nevertheless said, before lowering his face down towards Asami's. "Prepare yourself then, Asami-san. You're about to get the ride of your life."

"I can't wait." Asami said, meeting him halfway for a steamy kiss.

* * *

Akihito was brought back to the present when his alarm clock suddenly went off.

As his arm shot out from under the covers to shut down the infernal contraption, he couldn't help but curse out loud to himself.

Awesome, just awesome! As if it wasn't enough thinking about Asami when he was conscious, Akihito now apparently had to dream about him too. And it was not like they were innocent dreams either…

For the last few nights his brain had entertained itself by reminiscing on every single sexual episode it could apparently remember happening between the two of them, and much to Akihito's chagrin, the recollections were so vivid that he invariably woke up every morning in need of a change of underwear.

Quickly kicking the covers away from him, the young man rolled out of bed, stomping in the direction of the bathroom and turning on the shower head, before discarding his stained underwear in the laundry basket and stepping into the shower.

He stood still for a few minutes, letting the cold water run down his head and torso, hoping it would cool down the uneasy feeling threatening to take over him.

Akihito felt like an idiot. After months of trying to get over Asami, and nearly convincing himself that he had, he now had to come to terms with the fact that he actually liked the man a lot more than he ever thought he did, and that 6 months wasn't nearly enough to wash away the imprint Asami had left in his body.

Which in a way he felt it was a ridiculous notion. After all, they hadn't had any sort of contact for the past half year. Not a phone call, e-mail, nothing. It was like they were back to being complete strangers.

Furthermore, for the first 5 months after their last encounter at Asami's apartment, it was as if the older man had simply disappeared from the face of the Earth. He was nowhere to be found.

As a prominent figure of the high class social and business circles, it was not like his absence went unnoticed, but as everyone's attention was diverted to the Irina Drugov scandal at the time, no one seemed to pay much attention to Asami's disappearance, which went to show how little everyone thought of Asami's involvement in the whole affair. No one seemed to even ponder on the possibility that the two events might be associated to each other.

On his part, Akihito also didn't do anything to shine some light on the subject. At first, he didn't want to have anything to do with Asami or his businesses at all, so he avoided the subject of the scandal altogether.

The coverage of the affair by the media eventually died down after the first couple of months though. Nothing official was released to the public by the Russian and Japanese governments on the matter of course, but the word on the street was that the situation had been investigated and concluded to be a big misunderstanding.

It even seemed like Irina's husband had somehow managed to put the affair scandal behind him and found it in him to forgive his wife (if one was to believe the latest stories published by the gossip magazines that is).

Again, Akihito couldn't care less about it all.

Due to the exposure his work had gotten on the media however, he found his services being requested more and more often, which he happily obliged to, as it gave him a chance to get his mind off a certain black market leader, whom he was very intent on forgetting.

Kou also ended up helping him on the task in a way. Akihito's friend had certainly owned up to his promise to get him back on the dating scene and had set him up on more first dates than Akihito could manage.

At some point the young man even suspected that his friend had some secret connections with a dating agency. It was almost mind-blowing how many girls he knew.

Sure, most of the girls that Kou set him up with were a complete miss, but Akihito did get along with one of them pretty well and they had managed to sort of date. It was not like it was anything serious on either part, but they enjoyed each other's company and so frequently went out for drinks after work.

In a sick twist of fate though (and just when Akihito thought he was getting over Asami), Yukari was actually the one to first bring him news of the other man.

It all had happened about a month ago, when the two of them were at Kou's birthday party in a local bar.

Yukari had shown up late, sporting heavy dark circles under her eyes and a look that seemed to indicate she hadn't slept properly in days.

She had recently started working in a fancy 5 star hotel that was scheduled to open in a month's time and was helping out with the organization of the grand opening party.

As soon as Akihito saw her, he picked up an extra beer from the bar and went to say hi.

"Here, you look like you need it." He said, handing her the drink with a friendly smile.

Yukari narrowed her eyes at him for a few moments, as if she was having trouble focusing her eyesight. "Thanks, I do." She replied, eagerly. "Man, this job is killing me."

Akihito chuckled beside her. "That bad, huh?" He asked, as they headed to the back of the bar, avoiding the sight of Kou making a fool of himself on the dance floor.

"Tell me about it. I mean, just look at this damn invitation list." She huffed, taking out a long sheet of paper from her purse. "Everyone and their rich mums have been invited to the opening party. Socialites, politicians, actors, singers, businessmen, foreign royalty. I'm amazed the Emperor has not been invited! Do you have any idea the work it takes to accommodate all of these people's requests and demands? I have spent the last five days on the phone with everyone's PRs just taking down requests. Requests!"

Akihito couldn't help but laugh at her distressed state. "Mind if I take a look at the list? I'm meant to cover the party as a photo journalist. It would be nice to have a little inside information on who's attending the ceremony."

Yukari handed him the list without a second thought, before turning her full attention to her beer. "Knock yourself out." She said.

Akihito scanned his eyes through the list, whistling every time a big shot name would come up. "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge... Nice".

Beside him, Yukari shrugged. "I guess they'll be in town at the time. Their PR is cool. Not a lot of demands."

"Lady Gaga?" Akihito asked wide eyed, reading the famous singer's name of the list "Are you serious? Wow! This party will be awesome."

"Better yet, she'll be performing a song at the party." The young woman winked at him. "Pity her PR team is a pain in the ass." She added, with a grimace.

"I'm really impressed by the guest list, I'll tell you that. My boss will have a field day when he finds o-"

The words died down in Akihito's mouth before he could finish the sentence.

He suddenly felt trouble breathing as his eyes focused on a particular name on the guest list.

"Asami Ryuuichi?" He mumbled, incredulously.

"Oh that guy? Dude, that guy has the most annoying PR ever. Such a picky, over controlling bastard that Kirishima-san is! I don't know what to do with him anymore. And that Asami bloke has a tone of hotels around town, doesn't he? Why doesn't he go spend the night at one of his, if his PR is so god damned concerned about the hotel room? He was already assigned one of the best suites in the hotel as it is. You'd think that would be enough, but _noooo_. Apparently 'his highness' also needs more rooms for his bodyguards."

Akihito missed out on most of Yukari's rant because his heart had in the meantime decided to start beating uncontrollably. A cold chill had begun to ride up and down his spine and he had an odd feeling he was about to hyperventilate.

Yukari seemingly caught on to his sudden change of mood, because he soon realized she had a hand on his shoulder and was asking if he was ok.

Akihito tried to kick some sense back into himself. He smiled apologetically at her, saying he was just tired and quickly got back into the conversation.

"This Asami guy… hadn't he disappeared from the business scene a while ago?"

The young woman shrugged unconcerned. "I guess he's back now. It turns out he's a friend of the big boss of the hotel, so we all have orders to give him 'preferential treatment'. Oh, and you want to hear the most hilarious part of it all? All the women in my team are fighting over who gets to escort him around the hotel on the day of the party. It seems he's shaped like Adonis or something and is famed to be some sort of sex god." She grinned mischievously. "You can bet they are going to try to score one with him. Pathetic! The guy is famously known for being a heartless crook. Who'd ever want to sleep with him?"

Beside her, Akihito smiled sadly. "Yeah, right." He agreed nonetheless, hoping his friend wouldn't catch onto his unconvincing tone.

That had been four weeks ago, and today was the hotel's grand opening, that was to culminate with an evening party, which Akihito (though he'd tried to) wasn't able to escape from attending.

Per special request of his boss, he was to be in charge of taking pictures of the party for one of the major newspapers in the country. It was a 'request' that he couldn't exactly say no to, given the money sum involved.

Sighing tiredly, Akihito turned off the shower head, grabbing a towel to dry himself off, while walking in the direction of his bedroom.

His tuxedo, which he'd borrowed from Takato, was hanging on the front of his wardrobe waiting to be put on, while the party invitation was resting on top of his dresser; its gold fancy lettering teasing him from afar.

The young man looked at it, biting his lower lip. If Asami was indeed attending the party, then Akihito knew it was very likely that they'd see each other again, and frankly he didn't really know how he would react.

He knew it was all over between them. That was more than obvious and Asami had kept true to his word and not made the slightest move to look for him since his return from _wherever_, but still… Akihito wasn't sure he was ready to see in Asami's eyes that he really meant nothing to the other man at all.

He let his bare back lean against the bedroom's wall, closing his eyes for a few seconds, as he tried to empty his mind of its worries. "What am I getting myself into here?" He quietly whispered to himself.

* * *

Kirishima helped his boss into his tuxedo jacket, adjusting the white scarf in the lapel, before walking back a few steps to admire his work.

"If you may allow me the liberty sir,..." He said, as Asami took one final look at himself in the mirror. "That Armani tuxedo was a hit of a purchase. You look absolutely regal in it."

Behind them someone laughed. "Oh, don't compliment him any further Kirishima." Liu Feilong said from his spot standing by the hotel bedroom's door. "The man already has an ego the size of the planet. He doesn't need extra boosts of confidence."

"Relax, Feilong. Kirishima was just being polite... Although I suppose the concept is alien to you." Asami said with a smirk.

The other man laughed at the remark.

"Charming as always, Asami. How I missed you over these past few months!"

"To what do I owe the honor of your sudden visit then? Shouldn't you be sucking up to your other guests? This hotel was quite a big investment on your part. You should be out guaranteeing your client base."

Feilong returned the smirk. "I have time for that, no worries. I just came to check if you liked your accommodations for the night."

It was either the younger man's tone or his expression that caused Asami to become suspicious. He quickly dismissed Kirishima on a couple of last minute errands, giving them a chance to talk alone.

"What is it?" Asami asked him flatly, as soon as his assistant left them.

"What is what?"

"Feilong..."

"Oh fine, I was just wondering if you had a chance to check the invitation list for tonight's party..." Asami said, with a conspicuous grin.

Asami suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at him. "Yeah, quite the guest list. Congratulations, I suppose."

"No, no, not _that_ list. The press list!"

"And _why_ would I check the press list?"

As Feilong's grin increased, an uncomfortable suspicion started forming in Asami's mind.

"...Damn it." The older man whispered to himself.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later, Asami. You can't avoid each other for the rest of your lives."

"Are you sure he's coming?"

"Just got the confirmation from my press secretary. That's why I stopped by to give you a head's up. Akihito will be one of the reporters covering the event, no doubt about it."

"Does he know I'm attending the party?"

Feilong shrugged in response. "That I have no idea. For all I know, he probably thinks you moved to Mars. You haven't exactly publicized your comeback to Japan after all."

Asami leaned his forehead against the bedroom's window watching the sun setting over the horizon, as he tried to digest the information.

He really hadn't anticipated seeing Akihito so soon after coming back, particularly because he had no idea how he'd actually react to seeing him in person in the first place.

"What the hell am I getting myself into?" Asami whispered quietly to himself.

**To be continued…**


	5. PART V

**A/N: **Thanks again for your interest in this story :) and sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. I planned for it to be longer than it is, but the way it's turning out it makes more sense if I break PART V into two different chapters. The second half of PART V is nearly done, so it will not take me as long to update the story again. Thanks again for your feedback so far and happy readings! :)

**Caught by the Viewfinder**

**PART V**

* * *

Asami eyed the throng of guests navigating through the many passageways of the hotel's elaborately designed gardens with an unreadable expression.

From his spot leaning over the balcony of Feilong's private offices on the third floor of the building, he had a privileged view of the party taking place below him... One he had yet to set foot on…

The amount of celebrities in attendance, both national and international, was staggering (not that Asami would ever find himself star-struck by them...), but he had to admit that Feilong had indeed outdone himself in securing a very interesting guest list for the opening ceremony of his hotel.

Everyone who was _anyone_ in show business and politics seemed to be either at the party already, or approaching its entrance gates through the red carpet placed just outside the premises.

And in order to entertain his famous guests and leave them with the impression of a memorable evening, Feilong certainly hadn't spared any expenses.

Gourmet catering services, unexpected firework displays, and hired magician entertainers walking through the place engaged the guests' attention at all times, while a full orchestra band positioned in a wide stage built just for the occasion, played a medley of varied music genres, inviting the crowd to dance at will.

Feilong himself seemed to be quite busy that night. Asami had already lost count of the amount of people he'd seen him greet at the party.

Moving from one group to the other, followed closely by a couple of his associates, the man seemed possessed by endless energy... Why, one would almost assume the young businessman was having the time of his life among so many celebrities...

It was all an act, of course... And Asami knew it very well, which was why every time the older man would catch a glimpse of Feilong conversing with one of his VIP guests, he would find himself invariably smirking at the scene.

If there was one thing Asami knew about his Chinese friend, it was that Feilong despised celebrities with a vengeance. Nothing pissed him off quite as much as a stuck-up VIP; hatred which was heightened even further if the offending individual happened to be a political figure.

Oh yes... Asami hadn't the slightest doubt in his mind that Feilong would care nothing more than to punch in the face half of the people flaunting themselves through the party and that every smile he bestowed on them was as fake as his supposedly legal hotel...

Because as grand and majestic as the hotel was, and as reputable as it was being advertised to be, its only purpose was solely to serve as a decoy for the multi billion yen illegal casino that had already started operating in its many underground levels.

Yet again, Asami found himself surprised by Feilong's business capabilities. His had been an ingenious idea...

For years the younger man had been trying to penetrate the Japanese business underworld, with limited success. With the yakuza already controlling most of the illegal business routes and the recent reinforcement of the national police crime investigation units, it was certainly difficult for anyone to start any sort of obscure transactions in the territory.

But by using the hotel as a legal façade and by securing a very select client base for the casino, while at the same time establishing some profitable deals with the local yakuza groups, Feilong had simultaneously prevented any unnecessary quarrels with the mob and completely sidetracked the national police's attention.

And what better way to show off the success of his decoy plot than to invite to the party Tokyo's crime police commissioner himself...

When Asami spotted Feilong introducing the unsuspected commissioner to none other than Yamaguchi yakuza family's soon-to-be second in command, he'd nearly choked on his drink. Feilong sure had some nerves about him! Not that the commissioner seemed to understand the severity of the situation. After all, he was all smiles when one of the many photo journalists in attendance took a picture of the trio shortly after...

Asami took a long drag from his cigarette, watching the unknown photographer snap his camera at them; a series of bright white flashes illuminating Feilong & Co.'s faces for a few seconds.

As if suddenly reminded of something, Asami averted his eyes from the scene, quickly scanning the crowd in search of another set of camera flashes.

It took him less than ten seconds to spot his target this time, though he figured that after spending the last hour or so keeping Akihito under close surveillance, he could almost already predict where to find him among the multitude of people crowding the party.

A dark cloud of smoke escaped Asami's parted lips, as he took another close look at his former lover.

He'd seen Akihito arrive at the party over an hour ago from that same spot on the balcony, and save for a few moments when his attention had been sidetracked elsewhere, he seemed to had pretty much devoted his entire time so far to studying the other man's every move.

Without even realizing it, Asami had found himself scanning Akihito up and down with his eyes at first, as if he was stupidly worried that the youngster had somehow lost a limb since their last meeting, but apart from a new haircut and perhaps a bit of weight loss, Akihito looked exactly the same as he had 6 months earlier.

There was something off about his behavior though, which the older man quickly picked up on as soon as Akihito stepped on to the venue's grounds.

The younger man looked somewhat restless and his eyes wouldn't stop searching the crowd around him as if he was looking for something… or someone.

It was only when Akihito had circled the entire premises of the party, taking a few pictures of the guests here and there that he seemed to relax a bit, accepting a glass of champagne from one of the waiters and leaning casually against a nearby lamppost, while taking a moment to enjoy the scenery around him.

Before Asami could come up with any theories that might explain Akihito's strange behavior though, _she_ showed up.

The first time Asami saw her creeping up behind Akihito and scaring him out of his wits, he had to confess he didn't give much thought to the act. He simply figured that she was probably just an acquaintance of Akihito's. After all, half of the known world was attending the party. Akihito was bound to bump into someone he knew.

Even so, Asami's eyes refused to look away from the scene, and as the duo lively started talking to each other, it was clear that there was a sense of familiarity and closeness between the two.

It wasn't long before the older man recognized the young woman speaking to Akihito as one of the hotel's staff employees whom he'd met earlier on upon his arrival. A nice, pretty girl, who seemed to be around Akihito's age.

As Asami continued to watch the two chatting away to each other below the balcony, realizing how much Akihito's eyes would light up when she'd make him laugh, he found himself gripping the railing till his knuckles turned white.

The only time the happy mood between the two seemed to be disturbed was when the woman suddenly nudged Akihito on the ribs, discreetly pointing towards the group made up of Feilong and his associates, while whispering something in his ear.

It was clear that the youngster was visibly shaken by whatever he'd been told; his lips parting in a silent gasp as his eyes spotted Feilong among the crowd, and for a few seconds his earlier distress seemed to return, as he swiftly looked over his shoulder, as if fearing he was being watched.

His friend seemed to help him relax though, quickly fixing him up with a new drink, and soon enough they were happily engaged in conversation yet again, while Asami was left to silently observe the scene, trying to figure out why the hell he suddenly felt like punching a hole through a wall.

And so the minutes had passed, the two young friends below parting ways from time to time so that Akihito could walk about the gardens taking pictures of the many celebrities, while seemingly making a conscious effort to avoid Feilong's path along the way.

As for Asami, he remained in his vigilante spot the whole time, closely keeping track of Akihito's moves and of his interactions with his female acquaintance.

He was in fact so engrossed in the task at one time that he didn't even hear the sound of footsteps approaching him from behind.

"Still hiding up here, I see. Don't you reckon this is getting a bit pathetic? If you keep this up any longer I'm going to start thinking that you are actually scared of meeting Akihito face to face."

Asami didn't deign himself to look back at his speaker. "What do you want, Feilong?" He demanded, his eyes fixed on the young photographer below, who had yet again been joined by his friend.

The other man arched an eyebrow at his tone. "Oh my, aren't we grumpy this evening…" Feilong mocked, while joining Asami on the railing. "I just came to tell you that my associate Okada is looking for you. There are still a few details regarding the politician's bribe that need to be sorted out." He paused, sighing tiredly; the night's accumulated fatigue finally starting to get a grip over him. "…I need this bribe to work, Asami. That pesky politian might endanger the casino if he goes around yapping his big mouth too much."

The older man nodded quietly, lighting up a brand new cigarette; his eyes never leaving Akihito. "It will work, stop worrying. I've got enough dirt on the man to keep him quiet for years… Besides, I owe you one." He said, causing Feilong to grin.

"Well, you weren't joking when you said Akihito has a knack for getting himself in trouble, that's for sure…"

The Chinese man looked over to where Asami's eyes were fixated, spotting the youngster in question with little difficulty.

For a few moments both he and Asami remained silent, watching Akihito and his girl friend dancing together to the rhythm of Lady Gaga's The Edge of Glory, along with many others crowding the dance floor in front of the stage where the famous singer was performing.

"They seem like they get along quite well, don't they?" Feilong eventually observed of the couple, casting an inquisitive look at Asami.

The older man's expression remained unreadable though, as he took another drag from his cigarette. "Who is she?" He asked; his voice equally neutral.

"Matsuoka Yukari. One of my best employees,... so don't even think about taking your wrath down on her."

His comment caused Asami to finally look at him; his inquisitive expression making Feilong chuckle in amusement.

"_What_? Do you think I don't know you well enough to realize you're utterly pissed off by your former pet boy's show of affection to another person?"

Asami quickly opened his mouth, seemingly intent on protesting against the implication, but for once he wasn't able to come up with a retort. Instead, he leaned against the railing again, letting his eyes wander back to the couple on the dance floor.

"Are they dating?" He asked, trying to make his voice sound neutral.

"Oh… so was I also meant to keep a track of Akihito's love life these past 6 months, along with making sure he didn't get himself injured or killed on the job? What is it that makes you so interested in the subject all of a sudden, Asami? I thought you'd cut your ties with Akihito for good…"

The older man shot Feilong a dry look, making the latter roll his eyes at him. "Oh fine! I suppose they _hooked-up_ a couple of times. I remember the bodyguard I dispatched to watch over Akihito mentioning she stayed over at his flat one or two nights. There!... And so what? Are you about to pretend you've stayed celibate for the past half-year, Asami? That you haven't slept with every willing person trying to get your mind to forget about the brat?"

Feilong saw Asami's lips morph into a thin line, but even then the older man made no effort to contradict the accusations. Instead, Asami just went back to looking at the dance floor only to notice this time that Akihito had suddenly stopped dancing altogether and seemed to have his eyes fixed upon a spot near the venue's entrance doors.

When the younger man slowly started to grow pale as a ghost, Asami knew something had to be wrong.

He quickly followed the direction of Akihito's gaze, and had a hard time believing his own eyes when he finally spotted the large group of foreigners that had just entered the premises coming from the red carpet placed outside; a tall blond figure dressed in a white tuxedo at the head of the group, already making his way towards the party's reception table.

The look on Asami's eyes turned venomous almost instantly. "Damn it, Feilong!" He said, dangerously narrowing his eyes at the man standing beside him. "You invited Arbatov?" He asked accusingly.

"Mikhail? !" The Chinese man replied, clearly confused by his mention of the name. "Of course not! What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh really? Then what the hell are Arbatov and his men doing here?" Asami spat, pointing to the Russian and his entourage below.

Feilong nearly turned as pale as Akihito did when he spotted the intruder. "How on earth did that bastard get past security?" He mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else.

It was then he noticed the Russian's bodyguards. Five in total; as big and bulky as bulldozers and knowing Mikhail's security concerns as he did, more than likely armed.

"He must be looking for you…" Feilong said, quickly turning his attention back to Asami. "Mikhail must have found out somehow you were meant to attend the party… What the hell is he planning showing up here? Didn't you say you'd already settled the gun deal fiasco with him while you were in South America?"

"I did…" The other man replied, keeping a close watch on the Russian. "We reached an agreement two months ago. I sent Kirishima to Russia to deal with it personally."

Feilong huffed soundly, pulling his fingers through his hair. The last thing he needed was a scandal breaking out at his hotel's opening ceremony, which he suspected was what would happen if he didn't find a way to get rid of Arbatov soon. "Ok, this is what we'll do..." He started. "I haven't a clue what Mikhail wants, but I'm not about to chance a meeting between the two of you here… I'll go down to greet him and try to get him to leave. In the meantime you stay he-"

"Shit." He heard the older man say all of a sudden.

"Huh… what? !... _Hey_, where the hell are you going?" The younger man asked, seeing Asami storming past him in the direction of his office inside.

"Arbatov spotted Akihito." Asami shouted over his shoulder; his tone almost murderous, as he headed straight towards the office's exit door.

Feilong's head turned automatically back towards the party, easily spotting Mikhail as he slowly was making his way towards the dance floor, followed closely behind by his thugs.

A devilish grin was plastered in the Russian's lips as his eyes locked with Akihito's, who grabbing a very confused Yukari by the wrist was slowly backing away from the foreigners' group, trying not to draw attention to himself.

Feilong's eyes widened in shock as he saw one of Mikhail's bodyguards slowly reach a hand inside his heavy jacket. "Oh shit!..." He cursed out loud, before quickly running out of the balcony after Asami.

**(to be continued...)**


	6. PART VI

**Caught by the Viewfinder**

**Part VI**

* * *

Akihito could feel his heart beating uncontrollably against his ribcage as he noticed the Russian slowly making his way towards him through the crowd of guests.

Part of him felt as if he was having a nightmare, as if his mind was somehow playing dirty tricks on him courtesy of the many cocktail drinks he'd taken that evening, and that the other man was simply a product of his imagination, but deep down Akihito knew better.

Russian mafia's tycoon Mikhail Arbatov in the flesh was definitely the man he was seeing in front of him, and for some unknown reason the mobster seemed to have targeted Akihito as soon as he'd unexpectedly laid his eyes on the youngster.

The poorly concealed grin plastered on his face could only mean trouble, and Akihito was not about to stay around to find out what the hell the Russian was doing at that party, that's for sure.

He was already regretting not having left the minute Yukari had let him know that the new hotel's big boss was none other than his former kidnapper Liu Feilong.

That opening ceremony was turning into one big mafia lords' meet and greet and Akihito had already had more than his fair share of interactions with their kind to want to meddle in their world again.

As he scanned his surroundings looking for a way out of the place, he suddenly felt a hand coming down on his shoulder.

Startled, he looked to his side to find Yukari looking back at him with a concerned expression. It was then that Akihito realized he was still gripping her wrist tightly in his hand. Shit... Due to the sudden shock of seeing Arbatov, Akihito had almost forgotten about his friend.

He looked at the Russian's group, quickly decreasing their distance towards him and found himself panicking for a second. He had to get Yukari out of there.

"Akihito, what's wrong?... You're acting so strange all of a sudden." The girl asked.

The young man snapped back to his senses at her words, his mind working at full speed. Without a second thought, he released her wrist, moving his hands up to grip both her shoulders, so that her attention was fully on him.

"Yukari, listen carefully. You have to get away from me." He said quickly; his voice dead serious. "Go inside the hotel and whatever happens don't come back here."

His friend eyed him as if he'd just gone mental. "_What_? !... Why? ! What's going on?" She asked, even more confused now.

"You have to trust me on this, Yukari. Please just go inside the hotel."

"No... Not unless you tell me what's going on all of a sudden."

Akihito sighed impatiently, checking Arbatov's position from the corner of his eye. He didn't have much time left. The Russian was fast approaching.

He bit his lip nervously. He doubted he would be able to avoid being confronted by the mobster now, but he could at least still try to get Yukari to safety.

Desperate to make his friend go away, Akihito pointed out to her the foreigner and his entourage, albeit trying to be discreet about it. "See that group over there?... I don't have time to explain it to you now, but I know that blond guy in the front and he's really dangerous... I'm not sure, but I think he's coming this way to speak to me. Now please go inside! It's best if they don't see you with me."

His plan seemed to do the trick. One look at Mikhail's thugs and Yukari was trembling like a leaf.

"Akihito..." She whispered; her deep concern for him evident in her voice.

"I'll join you inside as soon as I can get rid of them." He said in a lighter tone, trying to appease her dark mood.

Yukari seemed to be glued to her spot though; her fearful eyes darting back towards the foreigners' group every few seconds.

"Yukari, they are not going to try anything stupid here. There's too many people around... _Please_, go inside."

His last comment seemed to finally relax her to the point that she actually started to slowly back away from Akihito, who nodded encouragingly at her.

When she managed to put a few feet between them, moving out of Arbatov's eyesight altogether, she turned around and sprinted towards the main building, but not before casting another concerned look Akihito's way.

The younger man saw her back disappear between the throng of celebrities. He could only hope that she wouldn't call security. He had a feeling that Mikhail's men were probably armed and would not feel at all coy to pull out their weapons if provoked.

Akihito didn't have much time to muse on the scenario though, as a cheerful sounding voice suddenly reached his ears, making a cold chill shoot down his spine.

"Well, well, isn't this a small world?" He heard Mikhail say, with a perfect Japanese accent. "It's been a long time, hasn't it Akihito-kun?... I hope you still remember me!"

Akihito couldn't help but gulp nervously, as he turned his head around only to find the Russian right in front of him. "How have you been, Akihito-kun?" The other man asked.

There was a clear smile playing on his lips as he spoke to the youngster, but his _eyes_... his eyes looked as cold as daggers and full of poison, and they were tightly locked with Akihito's, who seemed to had lost the ability to speak altogether under their gaze.

After a few moments of silence, Mikhail arched an eyebrow at him. "What's the matter?... Lost your tongue?" He asked; the same twisted smile on his face. "Oh wait... I didn't have it cut off while you were on the cruise ship in Hong Kong, did I? I'm pretty sure you were able to speak then..." He added, looking somewhat baffled with himself. "Did I order someone to cut your tongue off at the time?... I'll be damned, I can't remember."

Akihito's breath caught in his throat as he looked at Mikhail wide-eyed. The feelings of fear and desperation he had felt while being held captive by the other man's group in Hong Kong suddenly coming back to him in full force.

His expression seemed to amuse the Russian though, who burst out laughing in his face. "Oh relax you! I was just kidding. I don't go around ordering people's tongues to be cut off... At least not anymore... Messy business that was." He seemed to recall for a moment, while taking out a cigar pack from his tuxedo jacket. "...But seriously, not even a 'Hello' from you? I'm rather disappointed. Here I was thinking I had treated you so well in Hong Kong and this is the gratitude I get in return." He said, faking a pout, before lighting one of the cigars against his lips.

Akihito slowly opened his mouth to reply, though he was not yet sure what to say to the other man, when his attention got sidetracked by one of Mikhail's bodyguards soundly cracking his massive knuckles just behind his boss; the sound making the younger man cringe despite himself.

The Russian was quick to pick up on his reaction, casually looking back at his entourage. "Oh, are you feeling shy because of these guys? Is that why you're so quiet?"

He took Akihito's silence as a 'Yes' to his questions.

"Well, I suppose they aren't the friendliest looking bunch..." He shrugged. "But very well, that can be easily solved."

Akihito heard Mikhail address in his native language the largest of his bodyguards, clearly the leader of the pack, who in turn gave a short order to the others, disappearing shortly after with them between the nearby crowds. He still had time to shoot Akihito a menacing look before leaving him alone with his boss though…

"There..." The blond man started, turning his attention back towards the younger man. "Feeling more comfortable now?" He asked with the same cynical grin he had been sporting before.

"W-What do you want from me?" Akihito heard himself finally ask, hoping his voice wouldn't denote the apprehension he felt gripping his heart.

Mikhail on his part seemed surprised by the question. "From you?" He mimicked the words, slightly tilting his head at the youngster. "Why, nothing much. A lively chat, a chance to reminisce on the good old Hong Kong days... Although I was hoping you could perhaps help me locate a mutual friend of ours... I have been searching for him all over the place for the last six months..." He added; his fake concern more than obvious to his listener.

"I was told he would be attending tonight's party though, so I rushed here... You haven't seen Asami Ryuuichi around yet by any chance, have you?" He asked, narrowing his ice cold eyes at Akihito.

The younger man felt suddenly nauseous. So Asami was the Russian's target, not him. He didn't even think twice before answering. "You must be mistaken. Asami disappeared from Tokyo months ago. No one has heard from him since... You're not going to find him here."

Mikhail snickered at the comment. "Oh really? How come you're so sure? Do you know where he is then?"

"W-Well...I...No, not really...That is..."

His uncertainty made the other man laugh. "You got dumped by him, didn't you?... Well, goes to show you, you should never trust a mob lord... We are such heartless lovers." He added, knowing very well he had touched an open wound in Akihito. "Oh well, what do you say we hit the bar? We can wait for our elusive friend over some drinks. I'm pretty confident he'll show up eventually."

Mikhail made a move to place his arm around Akihito's shoulder, intent on guiding him towards one of the party's many open bars, but before he could manage to do so a hand shot out of nowhere grabbing his wrist tightly in midair.

"That's enough, Arbatov. Back off." A deep voice Akihito knew all too well said, suddenly sending every fiber of his being into overdrive.

He slowly turned to look to where the sound had come from, feeling as if all air had been knocked out from his lungs.

Standing right beside him, in all his powerful aura, the man Akihito had vowed in his heart to forget was staring at the Russian with the deadliest expression he'd ever seen on him.

"Why _there_ you are, Asami!" Mikhail said pleasantly surprised, just before his icy laughter echoed through the dance floor.

**(to be continued...)**

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks again for your reviews and feedback on the story :)) Hope you're enjoying Mikhail's addition to the plot. He's a lot of fun to write he he I'm already working on PART VII so see you again soon ;) (And by the way, yes, I do like cliffhangers a lot LOL)


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